St. Louis Revelations

Paph. Maudiae 'Bankhouse' AM/AOS (Windy Hill)

The St. Louis Orchid Show had so many highlights it's hard to know where to start, but the biggest news was that three members of our Orchid Society won AOS awards. That's huge. Our Society won Best Society Exhibit and several of our members raked in ribbons. I also showed my first plant (B. Little Stars). It had obvious errors and I knew it had no hope, but it was a great experience nonetheless, and it kindled a sense of competitiveness that's made me think about my orchid collection in a different way.

C. Drumbeat 'Heritage' HCC/AOS

The Orchid Show coincided with the opening of the Missouri Botanical Garden's Orchid Exhibit, which runs through March. If you live within a 200 mile radius there's no excuse not to go. It's amazing! 

But the exhibit gave me a lot to ponder. How many Cattleyas do I really need? My mini-Catts are unassuming, but how many standard-sized Catts can I realistically grow and flower well? And if multiple exhibitors show massive specimens of Bc. Maikai 'Mayumi' HCC/AOS, perhaps that's a strong clue that my tiny version with six pseudobulbs isn't a ticket to orchid show success. 

Most of the orchids I've successfully bloomed are Paphiopedilums. I came home from St. Louis with a box of a dozen super gorgeous Paphs. from Windy Hill Gardens. They look so lush, healthy, and big. Most were blooming-size or near-blooming-size plants, but all of them take up less space than a few of my Cattleyas (Cattleyas that are years from blooming). Do you see where I'm going with this? 

I've seen the future. The future is slipper orchids.